Drop camp or not

[plumber1969]

Alright for our first time we are considering a drop camp setup. Being brought in 2 or 3 hours by horses and hunting from the camp every day and not having to come out every night. This is in south west Colorado and would be our first time elk hunting, no guide just paying for drop camp and hauling of any elk. Since we may never do it again and wouldn't have to buy the gear, is this a reasonable thing to do? Do the drop camps get you further in on public land? The guide is reputable and checks out, so I am asking for some of your opinions and thoughts.

 

[rmyoung1]

Absolutely. Especially for your first time I think it's a great decision. You'll get off the beaten path hopefully, have a nice time, and get horses to pack your meat out of the hills. Good for you guys. Best of luck.

 

[LuketheDog]

My buddy does marketing work for outfitters and we've gotten to do drops camps twice for free through his connections. We were in a wilderness area about 7 miles from the closest trailhead. We saw a couple guys on two days out of total 12 days of hunting, and they had packed all the way in on foot, getting an elk out would have been a chore to say the least. The remaining days we had several large basins all to ourselves. It was an absolute blast, I'd do it again in a hearbeat-and when the weather sucks it's really nice to have a wall tent and wood stove to warm up in!

 

[N2TRKYS]

Or you could do a trespass fee hunt for about the same as a drop camp, but on private land. Either one can be a good option.

 

[Murph1]

It works well for me. This will be my third year using a drop Camp. They get us 13 miles back in there. In 20 days of hunting we've yet to see another hunter. Worst problem we had was that we had to hike about 6 miles out last year to get to a place where we could communicate to the guy to let him know he would need to bring more horses to pack out a second elk.

 

[RkyMtnELK]

For the joy of the hunt, drop camp or horse pack on your own. I live in New Mexico and being able to drive to within a short walk of elk is great but nothing beats a camp far and away from the crowds. I have rented horses and packed into the Pecos Wilderness in the past. If you can get someone to drop and and return for you so much the better. Good luck.

 

[OH->CO]

I have never done a drop camp but I have looked at the options pretty closely. An outfitter I have dealt with says it is the best value. If you know how to look for sign it has a lot of benefits. You could easily spend that amount of money on good gear so if you are hunting only one year it is a good value. The other big thing to consider is if you were to get more than one elk down. The outfitter could help you get all the meat cut up and carried out so fast that the next guy can continue hunting that same day.

 

[Ohboytimmy]

I would love to do a drop camp some day. DIY is my only choice considering money. Whats the price range do most outfitters normally change?

 

[bigeasygator]

There's only one downside to doing a drop camp and it's that you're basically stuck in one location. Beyond that, in my opinion it's the perfect way to experience an elk hunt. Off the beaten path, the pack ride in, camping for a week...it's hard to beat on the adventure meter. It is how I encourage everyone to do their first elk hunt.

Ohboytimmy,

They're in the $1500-2000 range depending on outfitter. Typically that only includes the camp set-up (tent, stove, etc) and the ride in (no license, food, or tips).

 

[matt meyer]

Sounds like a great deal to me. I would love to do it sometime

 

[Rooster52]

A reputable outfitter will put you in a drop camp where your success is improved from the standard DIY hunt.A full service drop camp will have everything needed to make you a comfortable hunt.
I do most of my hunting DIYbecause I like the challenge but a drop camp is usually much more productive,at least the ones I have been on were.

 

[jdf]

I done many years of diy elk hunts. Pack everything in on your back, sleep in tiny tents. Killed first couple elk that way.
Last couple years did drop camps. Man, is it more enjoyable to me and we kill more elk now even though so guys will say u are stuck to an area. If it is good area, no worries.
Having a big tent and freely move around in, sit in chairs will spoil you but to each his own.
One favorite part of whole trip is riding in on horses thru the mountains.

 

[windymtnman]

I think a Drop Camp definitely has some advantages, and then perhaps some down sides too.
One thing I'd try to research when talking to an Outfitter, is the area he's using as his Drop Camp location. You might have a great hunting location, or you might find yourself in an area that just doesn't have much game. Whether in a fully outfitted camp, or Drop Camp, you have to bear in mind that if you're coming in mid season or later, that camp & hunt area has been pounded daily by the previous hunters. Of course that can work for you or against you, if game is spooked into your area too. An advantage to Drop Camps, is that you can hunt anywhere your legs are willing to take you, as it's not your problem to pack the game out. I remember years where I'd look down into a drainage wanting to hunt it, but I knew I was just too far from the road to carry an Elk out of there.
Where I'm at, I ride right past a Drop Camp a local outfitter is running. To the East, the walk in hunters can easily reach that area. To the North, they are limited by the terrain. To the West, well there's my camp! So, it isn't all that great of location.
At the end of the day, they can be a great value. I'd just ask a lot of questions of the Outfitter before I booked one.

 

[plumber1969]

Ok guys the information you have provided us is great and we appreciate it. This hunt will be the last week of archery for next year and it is for myself and my wife. We will have a camp to ourselves and the area we are hunting is 75 and 751. I am really not expecting anything but an adventure and if we happen upon an elk that so be it.

Windymtnman, I have asked about references, checked the service out with the Colorado Outfitters Association and so far everything has come back clean. He provided us with 2 tents, sleeping and cooking, water, wood, propane, cots, etc...We provide our food, clothes and equipment. If we kill an elk, we quarter it and hand it in a tree, they ride it out on horses. They check on us every 2 days as well. Am I missing something else that I need to ask? Again, we truly appreciate this help. Coming from Florida, where we hunt whitetail's and alligators (got a 10 footer this past Saturday night that weighed 270 plus), to Colorado is a big investment considering plane tickets, licenses, etc...

 

[LWC55]

We did a drop camp in NW Co for our first elk hunt in 2009, 1st Rifle. We went 2 for 4 (one bull, one cow) and one guy missed a bull.....so can't complain too much. I really enjoyed the 4 hour horse ride up to where we thought we were fairly alone. Then comes daylight on opening morning. Sounded like a decent dove hunt for several hours. Then the elk got pretty scarce. I know we were on public land and can't control who is around you, but it was crazy the amount of shooting that first day. I counted over 100 shots the first hour and didn't start counting right away. So I would definitely check many references. We did and apparently this was not normal but put a little damper on our hunt. Going DIY this year and expect to see more folks but not sure if we will hear as much shooting.

 

[hank4elk]

I have done several over the years and enjoyed every one.
Some have been a packer buddy taking me way into the Sierras for trout and deer with my gear and he would bring in food etc in the middle of two week stay and spend a night. We still talk about those trips with fondness.
I have done 2 in the NM Pecos Wilderness with a NM outfitter I met years ago. Same thing,my tag and he would take my gear, his tent and some supplies in and bring the elk out.
Last time I drew the Pecos he got me a 300 ac ranch just outside Wilderness and I drove in to a cabin with his camp supplies and I hunted all over the area,but the ranch held a bunch of elk. Did have a problem with another outfitter from next door ranch who had come onto the ranch and they shot a bull I had been after. I stuck it out and had a blast still.Day after my hunt I drove out & contacted the G&F and my outfiitter and told them what had happened.I had pics of the carcass & GPS co-ords on the site and we went back up so G&F could take a report and get samples of the elk. He did his job,found the CO outfitter & the hunter from Missouri and both got fined & lost all hunting rights in NM & 28 states.It was the 1st case NM G&F had used DNA to solve & prosecute a poaching case.
All in all drop camps have been great in my book.

 

[Biggs300]

I agree with most that have posted. Drop camps can be an excellent way to hunt elk and deer from remote areas. I would caution that you make sure you understand the terrain, the drainages and other land features of the area you will be hunting. I would also recommend that you research topo maps and satellite views of the area of your drop camp in great detail. I've hunted from 3 different drop camps in SW CO (two during 2nd rifle season on one on the first rifle season). For two hunts, my hunting buddy and I were on our own without a wrangler or horses, although, the outfitter did offer packouts from areas accessible by horse. The only problem we had was the first year. The outfitter put us in a remote camp and we packed-in early to scout the area. After we were dropped off, we had an influx of hunters (6 that we met) come into the same area either by horseback or backpacking in. By the end of the 2nd day of hunting, we were on first name basis with 3 of the hunters. We had to let each other know where we would be hunting that day. I would definitely ask questions to make sure you understand how "crowded" the area can get. Last year's hunt was the only time that we did not see any other hunters. Unfortunately, we were not successful during any of the hunts but, by most standards we are rookies.